Automatic record player



Oct. 11, 1960 J. E. VISTAIN, JR 2,955,826

AUTOMATIC RECORD PLAYER Filed NOV. 18, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. i Jme: c5. Vzsza 23%! BY (4M ATTORNEY Ge 11, 1 J. E. VISTAIN, JR 2,955,826

AUTOMATIC RECORD PLAYER Filed Nov. 18, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 ATTORNEY United States Patent AUTOMATIC RECORD PLAYER James E. Vistain, Jr., 'Skokie, 111., assignor to Admiral Corporation, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Delaware Filed Nov. 18, 1955, Ser. No. 547,680

Claims. (Cl. 274--9) This invention relates to new and useful improvements in record players and in particular to a record player mechanism disposed in a cabinet having a wall formed with a slot-like aperture through which records may be inserted for support by a turntable inside the cabinet, and withdrawn through the slot after playing thereof.

Although slot-type record players are known in the prior art, their structures have involved mechanisms which are large and cumbersome and which were expensive to construct.

The present invention involves a mechanism which is inexpensive of manufacture, and is simple and easy to assemble and repair.

It will be illustrated in an embodiment specialized for playing 45 rpm. records. Other advantages of the invention will be set forth in part hereinafter and in part will be obvious herefrdm, or many be learned by practice with the invention, the same being realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations pointed out in the appended claims.

The manner of operation and the construction of the apparatus, as well as certain advantages due to the construction, will become more apparent from the following description of an embodiment thereof, the description being illustrated by the accompanying drawings and forming a part of this specification.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front perspective view of a phonograph apparatus in which the invention is incorporated;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1, with certain parts broken away to show the underlying construction;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary vertical section taken on lines 33 of Fig. 6;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of the pickup arm support and control mechanism therefor;

Fig. 5 is a horizontal section taken on lines 5-5 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a vertical section taken on line 66 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary sectional view corresponding to Fig. 5, the parts being shown in a different position; and

Fig. 8 is a vertical section taken on line 8-8 of Fig. 2.

Throughout the drawings, the reference character 2 is used to indicate, in its entirety, a cabinet for housing a record player. Although a table model is illustrated the invention is not limited in its use thereto. The cabinet 2 includes a top wall 3, end walls 4 and a front wall 6. 1

The latter may be V-shaped in vertical section and formed with a horizontal slot-like aperture 7 therein.

Supported from the interior of the cabinet is a base plate 8. It includes a central, horizontal portion 9, of rectangular formation, in ofiset relation to which is a platform portion 11 at one of its ends while at its opposite end the base plate is formed with an upwardly extending flange 12. The rear of the base plate 8 is also formed with an upturned flange 13. The central portion 9 carries on its lower side, a turntable drive unit 14 having a shaft 16 extending vertically through an aperture 17 in the central portion, from a motor 23. At a point centrally thereof on the portion 9 is mounted a turntable bearing 19 for support of a turntable 21 having an axial shaft 24 extending downward therefrom and journaled in the bearing. The turntable is driven from the shaft 16 through an idler 18 concurrently biased into frictional driving relationship to the shaft 16 and a depending flange 26 at the periphery of the turntable. As thus mounted, the turntable is arranged at the level of the aperture 7 so that when a record R is inserted therein and released it may rest on the turntable. Assuming that the foregoing apparatus is for reproducing 7-inch, 45 r.p.m. records, the turntable is provided with a coaxial center post or boss 27 over which the center hole of the record is threaded when the record is supported by the turntable. To facilitate the threading operation, the top of the boss 27 is chamfered as at 28 (Fig. 8) to cam the record into threaded relation to the center post if the record is slightly eccentric to the post when it is moved downward into engagement therewith. An additional feature to facilitate the threading operation is a lug, stop or continuation 29 of the flange 13. It extends to an elevation above that of the turntable and serves to limit the extent to which the record may be inserted into the slot. When a record is released, while its periphery engages the stop 29, it is orientated into concentricity with the post 27, on being released, by the chamfered edge portions 28. While resting on the turntable, with its center hole over the post 27, a segment of the record extends out of the slot, as indicated in Fig. 1. This enables the record to be grasped for removal from the turntable when reproduction thereof is completed.

In association with the turntable 21 is a pickup arm 31. It is generally inverted U-shaped in cross section having a top wall 30 formed integrally with depending side Walls 32 and is supported from the platform 11 by means including a carrier plate 33 having spaced-apart, vertical arms 34 struck upward from its opposed edges to embrace the walls 32 which are pivotally secured to the arms by a horizontal pin 36 to provide a horizontal axis for the pickup arm. A vertical axis for said arm is provided by a screw 37, Fig. 6. From its head 38, a neck portion 39 extends upwardly of length slightly greater than the thickness of the platform 11, to a shoulder 40. Therefrom a threaded portion 41 extends. The neck portion 39 passes through a hole 42 in the platform 11 while the threaded portion passes through a hole 43 in the carrier 33. This status is maintained by the clamping action of a nut 44 in engagement with the threaded portion 41, the nut pressing the carrier 33 against the shoulder 40 and locking the screw to said carrier while the head, extending under the platform anchors the carrier thereto. Owing to the length of the neck portion 39 relative to the thickness of the carrier 33 a tendency of the carrier to tip is averted by a washer 46 on the neck portion 38 between the carrier and platform. Preferably the washor 46 is of some suitable friction augmenting material such as leather or fiber for cooperation with the platform and carrier to reduce or offset a tendency of the pickup arm to swing laterally too fieely when free of a turntable supported record or from preset apparatus to be described hereinafter.

Between its operations of tracking records, the pickup arm 31 is in a preset position wherein its record engaging end is poised in an elevated position directly above the beginning of the sound groove of a record supported by the turntable 21. In this position the pickup arm is maintained by preset mechanism which includes an elongated plate or slider 47, Fig. 4, disposed below the level of the platform 11 and extends from a handle portion 48,

ture 49 therein, transversely of the vertical axis of the pickup arm beyond which the slider terminates in an offset 51 engaging the lower surface of the platform 11. The slider 47 is slidably anchored to the platform 11 by a stud .52 extending downward'from the platform 11 through a slot 53 in the offset '51 and a second stud 54, disposed on the lower side of the platform, extending downwardand passing through a longitudinal slot 56 in the slider, adjacent the frontwall 6. The slider is retained on the studs 52 and 54 by C-washers' 57 pinched about the ends of the studs and washers 58 between the C-washers and slider. The slider '47'is thus movable longitudinally within the cabinet between an inner or operating position and an outer or .preset position. .The handle 48 extends'outside of the front wall, 6 in either position so that it may be grasped and manually manipulated as desired. When the slider 47 is moved to its inner position, it is against the force exerted by spring 59, which is anchored between a lateral lug 61, Fig. 5, formed at the end of the offset 51 and a pin 62 attached to the under side of the platform 11 which is operative to bias the slider to its preset or outer position.

The slider is releasably secured in its operating or inner position by latch mechanism which includes a latch lever 63. It is swingable about a vertical axis provided by a post 64 attached to the under side of the platform 11 beside the slider 47. Additionally the post 64 affords support for a coil spring 66 which is formed with-arm 67 engaging an edge of the lever 63, and arm 68 pressing against a vertical wall.69 of the base plate 8 biasing the lever 63 counterclockwise. The lever 63 is mounted at an elevationslightly above the adjacent part of the slider 47 and is provided with a lateral ear, mobile stop or follower 71, Fig. 4 extending downward to a level slightly below that of the slider. A notch 72, formed in the edge of the slider 47, may be engaged by the stop 71-when the slider is pressed to its innermost position to secure said slider therein, against the force of the spring 59. It will now be apparent that swinging the lever 63 clockwise about its axis against the force of spring 66 removes the stop 71 from engagement with the notch 72 whereupon the slider is moved to its outermost position by the spring 59. For the lever 63 to be so swung it is integrally provided with an irregular shaped trigger arm 60, the end of which extends through the opening49, and is provided with a handle 73. To facilitate latching, the slider 47 is formed with a cam 7.4 extending to the edge of the notch 72. When the slider is moved inward,- the follower 71 rides over the cam 74 until said follower is in registration'with the notch 72 into which it is forced by the action of spring 66.

When the pickup arm 31 is in its preset position, it is' sustained above the levelof the turntable by a lift pin 76, slidably journalled in an axial bore 77 in screw 37, Fig. 6, and having one end engaging the slider 47 and the opposite end in engagement with contactor screw 78 threadingly disposed in the top wall 30 of pickup arm 31. The screw 78 maybe formed with a flange or enlarged head 79 on its lower end to provide adequate surface area for engagement by the pin 76. A slot 80 is formed in theupperend of screw 78 to enable manual manipulation thereof. A spring 81, embracing the screw 78, and disposed between the under side of top wall 30 of the pickup arm 31 and flange 79 of screw 78, prevents said screw from minutely rotating from a selected position of adjustment. When the slider is removed inward, and consequently away from its preset position, a cam 82, on the slider, is carried under the lift pin 76. The cam 82 affords a dwell or depression into which the lift pin 76 rides as the slider is moved inwardly. When the lift pin 76 enters-into the cam 82, the pickup arm is rocked downward into engagement with the beginningof the sound; groove of a record supported by the tumtable 21. And at its lowest pointof cooperation 4 the cam 82, the lift pin 76 is disengaged from the screw 78 and the pickup arm is then supported by the record it is tracking.

' Although manually swinging the latch lever 63 slightly clockwise, whereby the stop 71 is removed from the notch 72 on the slider 47, thereby enabling the spring 59 to move the slider to its outer or preset position, results in movement of the pickup arm upward out of engagement with the record by carrying the cam 82 out fromunder the lift pin 76, provision'has been made for automatically unlatching the lever 63 from the 'slider. The automatic means includes a bell crank leverf'83, Fig. 4. It is fixed to a vertical shaft 84 journalled for both axial and turning motion in a bushing 86 disposed in the platform 11 directly above the slider 47. The turntable flange 26 carries a striker 87 on its periphery, and a trigger arm 88. of the lever 83 extends through an aperture 89, partly defined by a horizontal step or shoulder 91. During tracking of a record, the trigger arm 88 rests on-the step 91 which also supports the shaft 84 directly abovea camrdwell 92 on the slider 47. When so supported,= the trigger arm 88 is slightly above the course through which the striker 87 is carried. The tone arm carrier plate 33 bears, at its inner end, a stud 93 extending downwardly therefrom through .a slot 90, formed in the platform 11, arcuate of the lift pin 76. Furthermore, the stud 93 extends to a level'below that of the lever 83, and engages an arm 94 of said lever 83 as the pickup arm approaches the terminal groove of the record it is tracking. The arm 94 remains in engagement withthe studp93, and the trigger arm 88 .is gradually moved toward the edge of the shoulder 91 from the support of which said trigger arm is dislodged concurrently with the pickup arm reaching the terminal or trip groove of the record. The lever 83 then moves downward by gravity with the shaft 84, the latter engaging the dwell portion 92. The trigger arm 88, then being in the orbit of the striker 87, on the periphery of flange 26, is thereby engaged and swung counterclockwise, Fig. 7, about the shaft 84. Concurrently the arm 94 is swung into engagement with the stop 71; the trigger arm 88 transmitting sufficient force from the striker 87 to dislodge the stop 71 from latched engagement with the notch 72 of the slider 47. 'Ihereupon theslider is returned to its preset position by the spring 59.,

'As the slider47fs returned ,to its preset position, Fig. 7, thetriggerQ arm 88 is moved to an elevation ab0ve the course of the striker. 87. This takes place when the-cam 92 is 'carried out from under the shaft 84 which rides to the novelof the upper 'side of the slider to support the lever 83'at' an elevation slightly above that of the shoulder 91. At this elevation, the lever is then swung clockwise, Fig. 7, by engagement of the arm 88 by a'lug 96 struck upward from an edge of the slider 47. The lug 96 may therefore occupy a preset therefrom when the slider is in its latched position; Fig.

5. .When the lug 96 is in its preset position, the trigger arm .88 is over the shoulder 91 and in spaced relation theretosinc'e theshaft 84 and attached lever 83 are supported from the slider 47 The trigger arm remains in this position until the cam dwell 92 is carried under the shaft 84 by moving the slider to itsinward or latched position. Supportforlthe shaft 84 then having been removed, the .lever 83 is moved downward until the trigger arm 88 issupported by the shoulder 91.

As has been indicatedwhen the slider 47 is returned to its present position, the cam 82'is moved from under the rod 76, and the piekup arm 31 tilts upward pivoting about pin 36. During this operation, the pickup arm is moved to the side of the turntable to a position where it will engage the beginning of the sound groove by the engagement of a stud97, Fig. 4, extending downward from a lateral extension 98 on the carrier 33 by an car 99 on the slider 47. As will be noted, Fig 4, the stud 97 extends, through a slot 101, in the platform 11, which is arcuate of the pin 76 providing for radial movement of said stud about stud pin 76. Of additional significance is the function which the slot 101 performs for stopping the outward motion of the pickup arm when it has reached its preset position. This is by engagement of stud 97 with an end 102 of the slot 101 when the extent to which the slider is urged outward is also overcome by the stud 97 engaging ear 99.

The turntable 21 operates in response to movement of the slider 47 inwardly away from its preset position and operation of the turntable is discontinued with return of the slider to its preset position. This feature is provided by a switch 103, Fig. 4, preferably of the deflectable leaf type, in circuit with the motor 23. The switch 103 is carried by the wall 69 at a point thereon adjacent the inner end of the slider 47. Normally, that is, when no record is on the turntable, a pair of contacts 104 on resilient leaves 106 of the switch are spaced from each other. When however, the slider 47 is moved inward from its preset position, it carries a downwardly bent ear 105, at its inner end, into pressure engagement with the switch to deflect one of the leaves 106 toward the other leaf until electrical communication is established between the contacts 104 providing electrical energy to motor 23.

The contacts 104 are held in their engaging relationship by means of the stop 71 on lever 63 engaging notch 72 of the slider 47, and the pickup arm is freed to move into tracking cooperation with a record on the turntable. It will now be apparent that when a record is rejected automatically, as described, that the switch 103 will open, thus stopping the turntable, while thereafter the force of the spring 59 is adequate to return the slider to its preset position and the pickup arm to its preset position whereat it is in readiness for reproducing a succeeding record.

Although the invention has been described in one embodiment thereof, I am aware that numerous and extensive departures may be made therefrom without departing from the spirit or scope of my invention.

I claim:

1. In a record player a turntable, a tone arm movable to a retracted position wherein said tone arm is disengaged from a record carried by said turntable, and to a playing position wherein said tone arm engages such record near the periphery thereof, a control member manually movable from a normal position to an actuated position and spring biased toward said normal position, latch means for releasably holding said control member in said actuated position, said control member when moved to said actuated position causing movement of said tone arm to said playing position and permitting tracking of such record thereby, said control member when moved to said normal position causing movement of said tone arm to said retracted position, a release member for releasing said latch means to permit return of said control member to said normal position, trip means driven with said turntable for actuating said release member to release said latch means, said release member being freely movable between a retracted position wherein said release member is retracted from the path of said trip means and an active position wherein said release member lies in the path of said tripmeans, and release-activating means actuatable by said tone arm upon completion of the playing of such record for moving said release member from said retracted position thereof to said active position.

2. The combination as specified in claim 1 wherein said control member is engageable with said release member to move said release member to said retracted position as said control member moves from said actuated position to said normal position.

3. The combination as specified in claim 1 wherein said control member extends through a wall of a cabinet housing such record player for manual manipulation thereof exteriorly of such cabinet, and wherein said latch means extend through a wall of such cabinet for manual operation thereof to release said control member exteriorly of such cabinet.

4. The combination as specified in claim 2 wherein said control member is slidable between said normal and actuated positions, with one end thereof extending through a wall of a cabinet housing such record player, and wherein said control member has cam means for moving said tone arm to said retracted position thereof and cam means for moving said release member to said retracted position thereof.

5. The combination as specified in claim 1 wherein said turntable is rotatable about a vertical axis, and said release member is pivotal about a vertical axis and is axially movable with respect to said turntable, and wherein a fixed shelf is provided for supporting said release member in said retracted position thereof above the path of said trip means, said release-activating means serving, upon completion of a record play, to move said release member ofi said shelf whereby said release member drops into the path of said trip means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,100,686 Collaro et a1. Nov. 30, 1937 2,475,744 Harman July 12, 1949 2,506,665 Giovannucci May 9, 1950 2,508,715 Harman May 23, 1950 2,670,210 Thompson Feb. 23, 1954 

